LAND FOR WILD LIFE AND RECREATION 217 



for every scientific investigator. The hunters concentrated 

 particularly on those wild animals which preyed on livestock, 

 poultry, and game. Thus the grizdy bear and the puma or 

 mountain lion are today almost extinct. 



We have already discussed the effect of this program. Today 

 the Biological Survey has given up this policy. Take the deer 

 again as an example. On overpopulated areas hunting restric 

 tions are being removed so that the deer population can be 

 decreased to a sise which can be supported on the available 

 supply of food. 



LAND USE AND WILD LIFE 



The major part of the new conservation program of the 

 Biological Survey is the harmonising of wild-life and land-use 

 requirements. Primarily, this program is an attempt to restore 

 something of that balance between game and the land which 

 existed before the spread of agriculture in America. 



About 11,500,000 acres of land have been taken out of 

 other uses and turned over to the purpose of aiding wild life. 

 Most of this was sub-marginal land on which farmers were 

 vainly trying to make a living. This land is now used to provide 

 three classes of wild-life refuges: (1) waterfowl or general 

 wild life refuges; (2) big-game refuges, preserves, or range; 

 (3) special refuges or rookeries for colonial non-game birds. 



You can see how such a program fits into the plan of the 

 Soil Conservation Service to retire sub-marginal lands. Indeed, 

 all of the water programs, land improvement programs, and soil 

 conservation programs fit into the new program for wild-life 

 development. The building of water holes for stock by the 

 Gracing Division of the Forest Service, or the Soil Conserva 

 tion Service means that the migratory waterfowl for which 

 the Biological Survey cares have new nesting and feeding 

 grounds. The planting of cover crops and shelter belts of trees 

 in the plains country both provide feed for wild life. 



